“Popular Mechanics” is a short story written by Raymond Carver. This story is about a couple getting broken apart. The man gets home and starts packing his things while the woman is yelling at him to leave and crying. As the man is packing up, the woman picks up the picture of the baby and he demands to have it. She won’t let him have it and then he demands that he wants the baby. She gets really upset and gets the baby. He gets angrier and then tries to take the baby out of her arms. They continually fight for the baby until they both pull hard at the same time and the issue is decided. This short story is a great example of conflicts in marriage. In “Popular Mechanics” the man was selfish and lacked communication skills and therefore is to
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He says, “I want the baby. I’ll get someone to come by for his things” (Carver 124). By saying this, he is again dismissing the mother and refuses to compromise or communicate well. He is escaping any further arguments by sending someone else. This saying also shows he is not a very good father because most likely the baby will get hungry soon and need items like diapers and such in the near future, and the items are surely not going to be picked up in time for the baby when it is needed. Instead of caring about the child’s safety, he cares that it is in his arms, not hers. This section makes the man look more selfish because it seems he wants the baby out of spite, rather than because he loves and cares for the …show more content…
“Don’t, she said. You’re hurting the baby, she said.” (Carver 125). This sentence shows her concern and her feelings towards the baby. She really cares for the child and wants him to be safe while the father claims he is not hurting the baby, when in reality, he certainly is. The man only cares for the end result: winning and claiming the baby as his to take. This man’s selfishness led to the end of this relationship. This story explains and makes clear how important communication is in a relationship. The man communicated very little, even in the middle of an argument. In a relationship, the parties involved should always be sharing their thoughts, opinions, and feelings. In the relationship in the story, the woman is open about her feelings and communicates decently. She expresses that she is upset about what is happening, but the man just quietly packs up, not showing emotion. Throughout the relationship he most likely kept his feelings and thoughts to himself, and it hurt the
He says, “I want the baby. I’ll get someone to come by for his things” (Carver 124). By saying this, he is again dismissing the mother and refuses to compromise or communicate well. He is escaping any further arguments by sending someone else. This saying also shows he is not a very good father because most likely the baby will get hungry soon and need items like diapers and such in the near future, and the items are surely not going to be picked up in time for the baby when it is needed. Instead of caring about the child’s safety, he cares that it is in his arms, not hers. This section makes the man look more selfish because it seems he wants the baby out of spite, rather than because he loves and cares for the …show more content…
“Don’t, she said. You’re hurting the baby, she said.” (Carver 125). This sentence shows her concern and her feelings towards the baby. She really cares for the child and wants him to be safe while the father claims he is not hurting the baby, when in reality, he certainly is. The man only cares for the end result: winning and claiming the baby as his to take. This man’s selfishness led to the end of this relationship. This story explains and makes clear how important communication is in a relationship. The man communicated very little, even in the middle of an argument. In a relationship, the parties involved should always be sharing their thoughts, opinions, and feelings. In the relationship in the story, the woman is open about her feelings and communicates decently. She expresses that she is upset about what is happening, but the man just quietly packs up, not showing emotion. Throughout the relationship he most likely kept his feelings and thoughts to himself, and it hurt the